IL-9 exerts biological function on antigen-experienced murine T cells and exacerbates colitis induced by adoptive transfer

IL-9 is involved in various T cell-dependent inflammatory models including colitis, encepahlitis, and asthma. However, the regulation and specificity of IL-9 responsiveness by T cells during immune responses remains poorly understood. Here, we addressed this question using two different models: experimental colitis induced by transfer of naive CD4⁺CD45RB^high T cells into immunodeficient mice, and OVA-specific T cell activation. In the colitis model, constitutive IL-9 expression exacerbated inflammation upon transfer of CD4⁺CD45RB^high T cells from WT but not from Il9r^−/− mice, indicating that IL-9 acts directly on T cells. Suprisingly, such naïve CD4⁺CD45RB^high T cells failed to express the Il9r or respond to IL-9 in vitro, in contrast with CD4⁺CD45RB^low T cells. By using OVA-specific T cells, we observed that T cells acquired the capacity to respond to IL-9 along with CD44 upregulation, after long-lasting (5 to 12 days) in vivo antigenic stimulation. Il9r expression was associated with Th2 and Th17 phenotypes. Interestingly, in contrast to the IL-2 response, antigen restimulation downregulated IL-9 responsiveness. Taken together, our results demonstrate that IL-9 does not act on naïve T cells but that IL-9 responsiveness is acquired by CD4⁺ T cells after in vivo activation and acquisition of memory markers such as CD44.     

Comparative microbiological features of Bartonella henselae infection in a dog with fever of unknown origin and granulomatous lymphadenitis

We report the first documented case of Bartonella henselae infection in a dog from France and the first isolation of B. henselae from a dog with fever of unknown origin. This observation contributes to the “One Health” concept focusing on zoonotic pathogens emerging from companion animals. A 1-year-old female German shepherd dog was referred for evaluation of fever of unknown origin of 1 month duration. Diagnostic investigations confirmed diffuse pyogranulomatous lymphadenitis. The dog became afebrile, and lymph node size normalized in response to a 6-week course of doxycycline. Retrospectively, Bartonella DNA was amplified from an EDTA-anticoagulated blood sample obtained before antimicrobial therapy, with the gtlA fragment sharing 99 % identity with the 350-bp gtlA fragment of the B. henselae Houston-1 strain. The same strain was isolated in the blood of three healthy cats from the household. Two months after discontinuation of doxycycline, the dog experienced a febrile relapse. Bartonella DNA was again amplified from blood prior to and immediately after administration of a 6-week course azithromycin therapy. However, without administration of additional medications, PCR was negative 9 months after azithromycin therapy and the dog remains clinically healthy 12 months following the second course of antibiotics. The medical management of this case raises several clinically relevant comparative infectious disease issues, including the extent to which Bartonella spp. contribute to fever of unknown origin and pyogranulomatous inflammatory diseases in dogs and humans, and the potential of doxycycline and azithromycin treatment failures. The possibility that dogs could constitute an underestimated reservoir for B. henselae transmission to people is also discussed.     

How important is consent in maternal serum screening for Down syndrome in France? Information and consent evaluation in maternal serum screening for Down syndrome: a French study

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the level of information and informed consent for maternal serum screening (MSS) for Down syndrome (DS) in the second trimester of pregnancy and analyse the exercise of autonomy towards the test by the women concerned. METHODS: We studied the population of pregnant women attending obstetric consultations in two French hospitals over a 3-month period. The women were assigned to three groups according to MSS results for DS: women at high risk of having a child with DS (group 1), women at low risk (group 2) and women who did not undergo the test (group 3). A questionnaire was completed before the medical consultation, to assess the quality of consent before amniocentesis for the group at high risk and before the second-trimester ultrasound scan for the other two groups. RESULTS: We analysed 305 questionnaires for 89, 137 and 79 women belonging to groups 1, 2 and 3 respectively. In total, 123 women (40.3% [IC 95%, 35-46%]) were considered to be well informed; 33 (10%, [IC 95%, 8-12%]) had a high level of knowledge, but made choices not consistent with their stated attitude, and 149 (49.7% [IC 95%, 45-56%]) were considered uninformed. Logistic regression analysis showed that maternal consent depended on three independent components: The score attributed to the doctor for information about MSS (t = 4.216, p < 0.001).Whether the patient belonged to group 1 (t = -2.631, p < 0.009).Educational level (< high-school diploma, high-school diploma or at least two years of higher education after high school) (t = 2.324, p < 0.02). The rate of consent increased with educational level and was highest for the women in group 1 and for those whose doctor had a high information score. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings clearly show that women are provided with insufficient information concerning MSS screening for DS in the second trimester of pregnancy for real and valid consent to be obtained.     

Residual Stresses Measurements in Laser Powder Bed Fusion Using Barkhausen Noise Analysis

In recent years, the advancement of technology brought the laser powder bed fusion process to its industrialisation step. Despite all the advancements in process repeatability and general quality control, many challenges remain unsolved due to the intrinsic difficulties of the process, notably the residual stresses issue. This work aimed to assess the usability of Barkhausen noise analysis (BNA) for the residual stress in situ monitoring of laser powder bed fusion on Maraging steel 300 (18Ni-300/1.2709). After measuring the evolution of grain size distribution over process parameter changes, two series of experiments were designed. First, a setup with an external force allows to validate the working principle of BNA on the chosen material processed using LPBF. The second experiment uses on-plates samples with different residual stress states. The results show a good stability in microstructure, a prerequisite for BNA. In addition, the external load setup acknowledges that signal variation correlates with the induced stress state. Finally, the on-plate measurement shows a similar signal variation to what has been observed in the literature for residual stress variation. It is shown that BNA is a suitable method for qualitative residual stresses variation monitoring developed during the LPBF process and underlines that BNA is a promising candidate as an in situ measurement method.     

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and biochemical markers of bone turnover after autologous stem cell transplantation in myeloma

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of high‐dose chemotherapy (HDT) followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) on bone turnover and bone mineral density in a cohort of 39 consecutive patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Methods: Phosphorus and calcium parameters, bone turnover markers, and bone mineral density were studied. Timepoints were diagnosis (T1), just before ASCT (T2), 6 months (T3) after ASCT, and 1 yr (T4) after ASCT. Results: No bone mineral loss was shown on dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) at T1 (lumbar Z‐score ?0.02, femoral neck Z‐score 0.77) or during follow‐up. Chronic vitamin D deficiency (25OHD3 11.7 ± 7.7 ng/mL at T1) and relative hyperparathyroidism from T2 to T4 were observed. In spite of this moderate hyperparathyroidism, serum C‐telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX) decreased significantly between T1 and T4. Bone alkaline phosphatase levels were low at diagnosis and showed no significant change after ASCT, unlike DKK1 levels that were high at diagnosis and decreased 6 months after ASCT in patients not previously treated with bisphosphonates. Conclusion: Bone demineralization is moderate in multiple myeloma. ASCT induces a decrease in bone resorption but no changes in bone formation, remaining low despite the decrease in DKK1. Bone mineral loss, evaluated by DXA, is moderate in multiple myeloma. High‐dose chemotherapy followed by ASCT leads to decreased bone resorption but osteoblastic bone formation remains low, in spite of reduced circulating DKK1.     

From early twinges to mastery: The process of adjustment in living with rheumatoid arthritis

Objective. To describe the experiences of women who have learned to live with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and to explore how women manage this chronic illness and the demands of their everyday lives. Methods. Thirty women with a diagnosis of RA were interviewed in their homes. The women were encouraged to “tell their story of living with RA,” from the first symptom to the present, using a semistructured questionnaire. Qualitative data were analyzed using a constant comparative analytic process. Results. Learning to live with RA was characterized by periods of uncertainty, of learning about the illness, discovering strategies that allowed the women to meet the expectations of their roles as women, and the establishment of new patterns of daily life. The women became experts at managing their RA and developed a sense of mastery in coping with their symptoms. Conclusions. Persons with RA need support and guidance, beginning with the onset of the disease, to facilitate achieving mastery in living with this chronic illness.     

Maternal mental health modifies the association of food insecurity and early child development

We examined the association between household food insecurity and early child development and whether or not maternal depression and anxiety modifies this association. The cross‐sectional study included 468 mother–infant pairs recruited at primary health centers of the Federal District, Brazil. Mothers answered a questionnaire that evaluated early child development (outcome), household food insecurity (independent variable), maternal depression and trait anxiety (effect modifiers). Variables were collected with validated questionnaires for the Brazilian population. Pearson's χ² test and logistic regression analyses were conducted. Infants who lived in a moderate or severe food insecure household had 2.52 times (95% confidence interval [CI] [1.13, 5.65]) the odds of having early child development delays compared with infants in secure households. Maternal depression and anxiety modified the strength of association between household food insecurity and early child development, which is an innovative finding. Among infants with depressed mothers, those experiencing mild (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 3.33, 95% CI [1.17, 9.46]) and moderate/severe household food insecurity (aOR 10.13, 95% CI [2.18, 47.10]) had higher odds of having early child development delays, compared with infants in food secure households. Among infants with both anxious and depressed mothers, these associations were even stronger for mild (aOR 4.69, 95% CI [1.41, 15.59]) and moderate/severe household food insecurity (aOR 16.07, 95% CI [2.70, 95.66]). In conclusion, household food insecurity is a risk factor for early child development delays, and this association is modified by maternal depression and anxiety. Future studies should evaluate the impact of intervention packages that address maternal depression and anxiety and household food insecurity on preventing early child development delays.     

Juvenile mild traumatic brain injury elicits distinct spatiotemporal astrocyte responses

Mild-traumatic brain injury (mTBI) represents ~80% of all emergency room visits and increases the probability of developing long-term cognitive disorders in children. To date, molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying post-mTBI cognitive dysfunction are unknown. Astrogliosis has been shown to significantly alter astrocytes' properties following brain injury, potentially leading to significant brain dysfunction. However, such alterations have never been investigated in the context of juvenile mTBI (jmTBI). A closed-head injury model was used to study jmTBI on postnatal-day 17 mice. Astrogliosis was evaluated using glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), vimentin, and nestin immunolabeling in somatosensory cortex (SSC), dentate gyrus (DG), amygdala (AMY), and infralimbic area (ILA) of prefrontal cortex in both hemispheres from 1 to 30 days postinjury (dpi). In vivo T2-weighted-imaging (T2WI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) were performed at 7 and 30 dpi to examine tissue level structural alterations. Increased GFAP-labeling was observed up to 30 dpi in the ipsilateral SSC, the initial site of the impact. However, vimentin and nestin expression was not perturbed by jmTBI. The morphology of GFAP positive cells was significantly altered in the SSC, DG, AMY, and ILA up to 7 dpi that some correlated with magnetic resonance imaging changes. T2WI and DTI values were significantly altered at 30 dpi within these brain regions most prominently in regions distant from the impact site. Our data show that jmTBI triggers changes in astrocytic phenotype with a distinct spatiotemporal pattern. We speculate that the presence and time course of astrogliosis may contribute to pathophysiological processes and long-term structural alterations following jmTBI.     

Analysis of the Filipinos’ Interest in Searching Online for Oral Cancer

Objective: This study analyzed the health-seeking behavior of Filipinos using Google Trends tool to quantify relative search volume by term . Oral cancer, mouth cancer, tongue cancer, gum cancer, and lip cancer were used as predetermined search terms. Material and method: Comma-separated values file containing relative search volumes of search trends pertaining to oral cancer from 2009 to 2019 were assessed. Brown-Forsythe one-way ANOVA was used to measure differences with respect to oral cancer across different years and months. Two-way repeated measures ANOVA was applied to detect differences regarding mouth cancer, tongue cancer, gum cancer, and lip cancer across the years. Time series models were fitted and used to forecast search interests. Results: The results revealed that interest in oral cancer was significantly higher in 2019 (43.75±5.5, p <0.05) compared to 2009 (29.0 ± 6.7). In terms of months, searches were higher in February (45.0 ± 6.6) compared to May (24.8 ± 3.4, p=0.015), June (25.3 ± 4.4, p=0.020), and December (26.5 ± 4.0, p=0.038). Search interests for gum cancer and lip cancer remained significantly lower from 2011 to 2019, and tongue cancer from 2016 to 2018 but approximated mouth cancer in 2019. The forecast showed that mouth cancer (31.67%), tongue cancer (23.75%), and lip cancer (3.83%) would fluctuate through time pass, while gum cancer (8%) would remain steady in 2020. Conclusion: Health-seeking behavior through search trends showed an increased interest in oral cancer in 2019 and during February. It was anticipated that search interests would fluctuate in 2020, but at the end of the year would decrease for mouth cancer and tongue cancer, increase for lip cancer, and remain steady for gum cancer.